If contributing to open source was only about writing code, it would be easy. In reality open source exposes our insecurities and makes us feel vulnerable. Vulnerability can inspire change, but can also paralyze us for fear of not being good enough. In this talk we’ll look at how vulnerability affects open source contributors and explore how maintainers can foster a welcoming community. Contributors will learn how to identify projects with empathetic leaders who value GitHub’s community standards. Cultivating a better environment for contributing makes open source more sustainable for all.

Eileen Uchitelle is an Senior Systems Engineer on the Platform Systems Team at GitHub and a member of the Rails Core team. She’s an avid contributor to open source focusing on the Ruby on Rails framework. Eileen is passionate about security, performance, and making open source communities more sustainable and welcoming.